Key chart



C. HARRIS Sept. l5, 1931.

KEY CHART originai Filed sept. 13, 192e;

Patented Sept. 15, 1931 UNTE ST PATENT rr-Ice CHARLES HARRIS, 0F FRANKFORT, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOE TO AMERICAN IDENTIFI- CTION COMPANY, OF VTINCHESTER, KENTUCKY, .A CORPORATION 0F DELAV/'ARE KEY CHART Application filed September 13, i926, Serial No. 135,132. Renewed .Tune 20, 1330.

This invention relates to the issuance ot checks and to the identification generally o'l' articles, persons, etc., and has for its object to provide a key chart by means of which 5 checks may be so marked that if altered in any material way such alteration may be readily detected; and by means of which any article or person having a predetermined number, may be accurately identified.

if; Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings; in which Figure l is a plan View of a key chart for 1; use in the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan View of a locater to ne used in connection with the chart. c

Figure 3 is a plan view of a check perforated in accordance with the present inven- -t tion.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail the numeral l indicates a key chart which is ruled to provide a plurality ot blocks or squares 2 in which are arbitrarily arranged 9.5 a plurality of numbers. These numbers though arbitrarily arranged are so placed that in each consecutive ten blocks lengthwise of the chart all of the numbers from O to 9 appear. The chart is also provided with 3g co-ordinates 3 and 4. The eo-ordinates 3 lill in the present form of chart representingV the days of the month from 1 to 3l and the co-ordinates 4 may consist of the alphabet, and other markings may also be used such as Local, State, etc.

In the use of the key chart as will be hereinafter described, a locater is necessary and this locater which is designated. by the numeral 5 comprises a rectangular member provided with a central rectangular opening of a length equivalent to ten blocks lengthwise of the chart and five blocks in the vertical direction of the chart. Two of the sides oi the locater are marked o-ii into ten sections and are numbered l, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0, while the shorter sides of the locater are divided oil into ive blocks or sections which are designated hundredths, tenths, units, tens, hundreds; these shorter sides of the locater may, of course, be made longer and divided off into thousands, tens of thousands, etc., is desired.

In the operation of the device we will assumethat a check is to be made out to Lawrence Fry on January 20, 1926 for $518.63. In practicing the invention the lo cater 5 will be placed on the master chart as indicated by heavy dot and dash lines; the vertical position thereof being determined by the day o the month, which is the 20th, and the horizontal position by the first letter of the surname of the payee, which is F. The upper left hand corner ofthe opening in the locater 5'is positioned at the point where the imaginary lines through the co-ordinates F and 2O meet. It will be understood, however, that should the day` oi the month be such as to bring aportion of' the locater below the bottom of the key chart it will be necessary to tix the position of the locater by the lower left hand corner thereorn instead of by the upper left hand corner. lVith the locater positioned as indicated in heavy dot and dash lines in Figure l and the check being placed in any suitable type of punching machine, the operator ill read oli in that section of the key chart which is surrounded by the locater the amount of the check and will then depress the keys in the` punchingV mechanismVV corresponding to the positions in the selected portion of the key chart. In the present instance, 5551863, is the amount et the check. and these numbers are indicated on .the selected section of the chart by dot and dash circles around the figures, and while here shown as extending in a straight line across the selected area, it will be understood-that this number was selected to simplifyv matters and kthat the numbers will not always extend in a straight line on the chart or on the check. After the check has been punched as indicated and if it is desired to aiford further protection so as to eliminate the possibility ofthe payees name being changed on the check, an identification number is given to the payeek and` this number may be determined `in several ways. In the present instance, we have shown thev identification number as determined by the the same relative positions as in the irst selected area and totaling them the amount will be 26 and this will be the identification number oi' the payee. Or, the identification number might be provided by merely taking down the figures .as they occur in the new position on the chart; the identiication number in the example would then be 36,557. Of course, this identilication nui-- .4, ber could be determined in many different Ways; for instance, the irst letter of the given naine of the payee might be used, or anyone of the letters of the surname might also be used. The particular manner of e locating the section of the chart to be used for identification purposes will, of course, be predetermined by the parties using the chart and also the co-ordinates to be used for locating the section of the chart for use .in punching or otherwise indicating` the amount of the check may be diierent from those herein shown and described. For instance, the months themselves might be used instead of days of the month. In other furor-ds, almost any variety of rio-ordinates might be used, lit only being necessary that the co-ordinates be predetermined as between the parties using the system.

The above description relates mer-ely to a single use of the leey chart disclosed herein, but it is to be distinctly understood that the chart is susceptible of various alterations of the style and positions of conrdinates, as well as the `arrangements of the ifigl-ires, it being essential only that a series or" rows of `figures be provided in which each row includes the numbers 0 to '9, that the number of rows be suiii-cient to permit of shifting the locater `to varying positions, and

' vthat means Abe provided for determining the posi-tions selected.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it will be observed that I have devised a relatively simple method by which lchecks maybe marked in cipher to prevent fraudulent alteration 'thereof as to the 'amount and which will provide identiiication numbers so fas to prevent an alteration of vtne i payees naine; and that the method devi-sedi is such as to 'provide for an endless number of combinations which may be varied :at lwill as predetermined between parties 'using the system.

' lIn accordance with the patent 'statutes I have described what I now believe to be the best embodiment of the invention; but I do not wish to be understood thereby as limiting myself or the scope of the invention, as many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention; all such I aim to include in the scope of the appended claims.

Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, a key chart comprising a body portion having a plurality of horizontal and vertical rows of igures, one of said plurality of rows of ligures having the numerals O to 9 recurring at intervals, indicia extending along one edge of the block of figures for use in determining the section of the lchart to be used, and a locater comprising a substantially rectangular sheet et material provi-ded with an opening and markings on said sheet spaced to correspond with the spacing of the igures on .the chart.

2. In a device of the class described, a key chart comprising a body portion having a plurality of horizontal and vertical rows of ligures, 4.one of said plurality of rows of figures hai/ing the numerals 0 to 9 recurring at intervals, indicia extending along one edge of the block of figures for use in determining the section of the chart to .be used, and a locater comprising a substantially rectangular sheet of material provid-ed with indicating means Vspaced to correspond with the spacing of the figures on the chart.

.3. In a device of the lclass described, a key chart lcomprising a body portion having a plurality of horizontal and vertical rows of gures, one of said plurality of rows of iigures having the numerals 0 to 9 recurring at intervals, coordinates along the edge-s of the chart, and a locater comprising a substantially rectangular sheet of material provided with indicating means spaced to correspond with the spacing of the iigures -on the chart.

CHARLES HARRIS. 

